Derby County have ruled out a move to sign Middlesbrough defender Darnell Fisher.

Paul Warne didn’t take charge at Pride Park until the start of October, meaning that the January transfer window will be his first opportunity to get some of his own signings through the door.

The 28-year-old Fisher is just one of several players to have been linked with a switch to League One, with the Riverside outfit open to letting him leave in the New Year, though any hopes of a move have now been firmly shut down.

The Latest: Warne’s update

Speaking to Derbyshire Live (via Football League World), Warne denied all claims of interest in Fisher and revealed that a future deal is not on the cards.

“January is a great opportunity but whether we get the players we want we will have to see. But every day is like a press day. Everyone asks what’s happening.

“I got told the other day that I had been linked with Darnell Fisher. There is zero truth in that. I know Darnell really well. If I want him I’d just phone him. So there is zero truth in that. It was said it was off a good source, but there is no better source than me.”

The Verdict: One to avoid

Fisher was once dubbed a ‘fantastic’ potential signing by sports journalist Josh Bunting, but making the decision not to pursue a deal is the correct one.

The right-back hasn’t featured since sustaining a serious knee injury in a freak accident last summer and offers little threat from full-back, scoring just three goals in 210 career appearances.

The Rams need to be targeting players who are fully fit and could come in and make an instant impact, and Warne appears to know exactly who, and what, he wants from the upcoming window.